Although Balzac wrote Beatrix with the information about the heroine which he had received from George Sand, he was acquainted with Madame d’Agoult.  Descended from the Bethmanns of Hamburg or Frankfort, she was a native of Touraine, and played the role of a “great lady” at Paris.  She became a journalist, formed a liaison with Emile de Girardin, and wrote extensively for the Presse under the name of Daniel Stern.  She had some of the characteristics of the Princesse Belgiojoso; she abandoned her children.  Balzac never liked her, and described her as a dreadful creature of whom Liszt was glad to be rid.  She made advances to the novelist, and invited him to her home; he dined there once with Ingres and once with Victor Hugo, but he did not enjoy her hospitality.  Notwithstanding the aversion which Balzac had for her, he sent her autograph to Madame Hanska, and met her at various places.

Among women Balzac’s most noted literary friend was George Sand, whom he called “my brother George.”  In 1831 Madame Dudevant, having attained some literary fame by the publication of Indiana, desired to meet the author of La Peau de Chagrin, who was living in the rue Cassini, and asked a mutual friend to introduce her.[*] After she had expressed her admiration for the talent of the young author, he in turn complimented her on her recent work, and as was his custom, changed the conversation to talk of himself and his plans.  She found this interview helpful and he promised to counsel her.  After this introduction Balzac visited her frequently.  He would go puffing up the stairs of the many-storied house on the quai Saint-Michel where she lived.  The avowed purpose of these visits was to advise her about her work, but thinking of some story he was writing, he would soon begin to talk of it.

[*] Different statements have been made as to who introduced George
    Sand to Balzac.  In her Histoire de ma Vie, George Sand merely
    says it was a friend (a man).  Gabriel Ferry, Balzac et ses
    Amies, makes the same statement.  Seche et Bertaut, Balzac,
    state that it was La Touche who presented her to him, but Miss K.
    P. Wormeley, A Memoir of Balzac, and Mme. Wladimir Karenine,
    George Sand, state that it was Jules Sandeau who presented her
    to him.  Confirming this last statement, the Princess Radziwill
    states that it was Jules Sandeau, and that her aunt, Madame Honore
    de Balzac, has so told her.

They seem to have had many enjoyable hours with each other.  She relates that one evening when she and some friends had been dining with Balzac, after a rather peculiar dinner he put on with childish glee, a beautiful brand-new robe de chambre to show it to them, and purposed to accompany them in this costume to the Luxembourg, with a candlestick in his hand.  It was late, the place was deserted, and